A soundtrack can truly make or break a movie. The emotion evoked through song can set the stage for greatness, and this effect of music can transcend into our daily lives, as well. In fact, who’s to say that music can’t set the scene for your dreams?
Music has the potential to increase the odds of dreaming pleasant things while also helping you relax and better process the occurrences of your day. In this way, music can help you to work through your emotions, especially when you look closer at what tunes are calling to you.
How Does Music Affect Our Dreams?
Have you ever watched a movie right before bed, only to have some of that plot leak into your dreams? This phenomenon emphasizes how the activities completed during the day may influence our nights. However, one of the key components of a movie is its soundtrack, so if you were to remove the visual stimuli and have only music, would it have the same effect on your dreams?
In one study, the researchers enlisted twenty subjects to complete a 10-day experimental protocol in which they listened to no music, exciting music, or calming music just before bed. The exciting and calming music were both listened to for three consecutive nights, equating to six nights of music-listening, while the nights in which the participants listened to no music were considered the baseline nights.
Over the course of the study, the researchers had 60 dreams to analyze for hostility and anxiety, referential activity, primary process thinking, and boundary disturbance. They found that the only factor that differed on the music vs. no music nights was the Primary Process Scale, with primary process imagery—dreams consisting of something that the dreamer desires—being more common on the nights following calming or exciting music.
This study is fascinating as it shows that listening to music can increase your odds of having a pleasant dream where you can see your wishes fulfilled. Additionally, no matter what type of music you listen to, whether calming or exciting, you don’t run a risk of increasing anxiety or hostility.
As for the mechanisms by which music may influence your dream quality and content, it has to do with the physiological changes that music can elicit. Namely, music may help to lower your heart rate, blood pressure, and anxiety levels. Not only could this lessen your odds of a bad dream and improve your sleep quality, but by calming your mind and body, you are in a better place to process your emotions from the day.
There are also theories that music may help those who attempt lucid dreaming by increasing their control over the dream’s content. Specifically, playing specific songs may set the mood for the dream, similar to how music is used to set the mood of a movie. This means that music may help lucid dreamers focus on a specific element of themselves, which can then help with their emotional processing.
Music in Dreams: Rare Yet Emotionally Positive
If you’ve never remembered hearing music while dreaming, you’re a part of the majority. In one study, it was found that only 6% of remembered dreams contained music, but the odds of having a dream with music were increased in those who spent more of their waking hours surrounded by music, including those who sing, play an instrument, or actively listen to music.
As for what makes these music dreams so appealing, they were associated with more positive emotions than dreams in general. However, it remains unknown if having a music dream can affect your mood the next day.
Other Benefits of Music for Sleep
It’s not just your dreams that can benefit from music; other elements of your sleep can, as well.
For instance, one study on those with insomnia found that listening to music helped to improve sleep efficiency.
As for what type of music you should listen to in order to fall asleep, steer towards whatever you most enjoy. One study examining the music listened to before bed found that of the 651 individuals who answered the survey, 65% listened to music to help them sleep, but this music spanned fourteen different genres of music. Classical, as expected, was at the top of the list, but rock, surprisingly, also made an appearance in one of the top spots.
As for why these individuals listen to music, the top responses were:
- Music offers properties that help stimulate sleep
- Music is part of their normal sleep routine
- Music induces a mental or physical state conducive to sleep
- Music provides a distraction from internal or external stimuli that would otherwise disrupt sleep
When looking at these benefits of music, it’s clear that while songs with slower beats and a lack of lyrics may help you relax and fall asleep, whatever type of music you prefer can offer benefits for your sleep.
The Music of Your Dreams
If you’re interested in gaining some form of control over your dreams, music may be the way to do it. While you may not be able to choose the topic of your dream, by listening to music before bed, you can increase your odds of dreaming about something that you desire.
Whether you choose to have music playing while you get ready for bed or like to fall asleep listening to music, adding in more tunes during your nighttime routine may increase your odds of dreaming versus listening to no music at all.
Additionally, don’t feel as though you need to listen to slow, calming, or classical music. While these types of music, especially those without lyrics, may help you fall asleep, they don’t make much of a difference when it comes to your likelihood of dreaming. So, queue up whatever songs you enjoy listening to—that’ll put you in a better mood than listening to a style of music you don’t like solely because it’s supposed to be relaxing.
Furthermore, if you’d like to experience the relatively rare music dream, make music a greater part of your life. If you’re not a singer or musician, spend time actively listening to music instead of having it as background noise.
Beyond the potential for music to prompt a pleasant dream, music can also help to calm your mind and offer a distraction from other less pleasant thoughts, making it easier to fall asleep. If you’re looking to sleep better, it may be time to add a soundtrack to your night routine.
